HUNTINGDONSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL Monday, 19 April 2010 MINUTES of the meeting of the NORTH WEST HUNTINGDONSHIRE NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM held in Fourfields School, Yaxley, Bentley Avenue, Yaxley PE7 3ZT on. PRESENT: Panel Councillor E Butler – Huntingdonshire District Council Chairman Councillor M Rickman Yaxley Parish Council Councillor E Rayner Ellington Parish Council Ms J Pritchard Luminus Inspector I Ford Cambridgeshire Constabulary Mr M Fowler Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service APOLOGIES: Councillor Banerjee Huntingdonshire District Council Councillor P Mitchell Huntingdonshire District Council Councillors M and Mrs V Cambridgeshire County Council McGuire Councillor N Guyatt Cambridgeshire County Council IN 52 members of other authorities, organisations and the public ATTENDANCE: . ACTION 1. WELCOME BY CHAIRMAN In his role as Chairman, Councillor Butler welcomed everyone to the meeting. The Chairman reminded those present of the purpose of the Neighbourhood Forums in Huntingdonshire as: ♦ informing, consulting and involving the public on issues of local importance; ♦ enabling local communities and the public to raise issues of concern and highlight priorities for action to public sector organisations; and ♦ influencing the decision-making processes that direct service delivery. The Chairman reminded those present that issues raised should relate to a local area or community. Individual issues could be discussed with the relevant agency at the end of the meeting. 2. NOTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING HELD ON 20 JANUARY 2010 th The notes of the previous meeting held on 20 January 2010 were agreed as an accurate record. 3. NORTH WEST HUNTINGDONSHIRE NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM PROGRESS REPORT An update on the following items that had been raised as issues at the previous meeting on 20 January 2010 was provided as follows: • Road traffic accidents in Holme – a detailed response was circulated to those present of incidents over the preceding three years. • Planning enforcement at Stibbington – Huntingdonshire District Council had been investigating the specific case and were liaising with the Parish Council. • Adoption of Persimmons development at Ferndale estate, Yaxley - Although most of the open space had already been transferred to Yaxley Parish Council, the District Council was trying to progress the adoption of a long stretch of ditch through the development and the County Council was pusuing the adoption of the highways. • Unlawful grazing of horses at Spaldwick - Inspector Ford reported that the owners of the horses had moved and no further problems had been encountered. • Anti-social behaviour (ASB) relating to underage alcohol sales and parking issues in High Street, Sawtry; speeding in rural villages; theft of oil from domestic tanks; and ASB in Farcet were dealt with under Neighbourhood Policing Team update later in the meeting. 4. NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING PROFILE As Sector Inspector for the local neighbourhood, Inspector I Ford introduced a short DVD on the work of Cambridgeshire Constabulary and gave a presentation on the Neighbourhood Policing Team and the January to March 2010 profile for the North West Huntingdonshire Sector (copies of which were circulated at the meeting). Inspector Ford provided an update on the priorities identified at the previous Neighbourhood Forum meeting as follows: • Anti-Social Behaviour in Farcet. • Eighty-three separate high visibility patrols had been conducted in and around the village of Farcet • One drugs warrant had been executed and cannabis seized. • Community engagement had been undertaken. Inspector Ford advised that there had been four youth related ASB incidents reported since the priority had been adopted. He also explained that there was an ongoing issue of motorcycles being ridden in a nearby nature reserve with eight incidents reported since January and which the local Neighbourhood Team were currently addressing. • Parking Issues in the High Street, Sawtry linked to a local take-away establishment • Eighty-two separate high visibility patrols had been conducted by the Neighbourhood Policing Team. • Nine Fixed Penalty Notices had been issued for parking offences. • No parking cones had been placed outside the shop which were checked regularly and replaced as necessary. • Regular contact had been made with all parties concerned, including the County Council regarding the possibility of yellow lines being implemented. • As a result of the Police action, calls for service were falling with only four calls in the previous four weeks. Inspector Ford drew attention to the following as a current crime hotspot based upon statistical analysis over the previous quarter: • Great North Road, Chesterton – vehicle crime The following had been identified as ASB hotspots in the sector: • High Street, Sawtry – parking issues, • Allard Close, Yaxley – rowdy behaviour, nuisance and vehicle nuisance, and • Lansdowne Road, Yaxley – youth and alcohol related ASB around food outlets. With regard to recorded crime, Inspector Ford indicated that he was pleased to be able to report that this had fallen by 23.5% compared to the similar period in 2009, with numbers decreasing in all categories except theft and handling cases. Similarly reports of anti-social behaviour had fallen by 24.5% compared with the corresponding quarter, with decreases in all wards within the sector except Elton and Folksworth. Inspector Ford reminded those present of the opportunity for regular updates from the Police via the e-cops system. He added that anyone who wanted to sign up could do so at the end of the meeting by speaking to one of the Neighbourhood Policing Team. Inspector Ford commented that there had been no further instances of underage alcohol purchases in High Street, Sawtry but that his team would continue to monitor reports and would work with trading standards to address any issues which arose. The Vice Chairman of Folksworth Parish Council thanked the Police for their prompt response to a recent incident involving officers from Yaxley Police station. He also asked that the Neighbourhood Policing Team monitor the new play area at Townsend Way where problems had occurred with rowdy and abusive youngsters which Inspector Ford indicated that he would pass on to his officers. A resident asked that the Neighbourhood Policing Team monitor activity on London Road in Yaxley relating to alcohol related ASB and accumulations of litter which the Police agreed to investigate. A resident raised a concern regarding students cycling to Hampton College on unroadworthy bicycles without lights and cycle helmets and often riding three abreast. Inspector Ford advised safer cycling courses were organised with primary schools but these did not extend to secondary school children. It was pointed out that parents had a responsibility to ensure that their children acted sensibly but Inspector Ford agreed to arrange for this to be brought to the attention of the college. Councillor E Raynor of Ellington Parish Council drew attention to problems of speeding motorists in the High Street and Grafham Road which the Police agreed to investigate and draw to the attention of the local Speedwatch team. Councillor G Watkins of Farcet Parish Council raised concerns about excessive noise from a club in Farcet and particularly users of the smoking area in the early hours of the morning. Inspector Ford indicated that this was a matter for the District Council’s Licensing Team but that if incidents were reported to the Police, they would be investigated. The Chairman thanked Inspector Ford for the information that he had presented. 5. GREAT HADDON DEVELOPMENT The Chairman welcomed Mr S Ingram, Head of Planning Services of Huntingdonshire District Council. Mr Ingram explained that the planning application for the Great Haddon development would be determined by Peterborough City Council and that the District Council could only submit comments on the proposal as a neighbouring authority. The District Council’s Development Management Panel had raised a number of concerns about the impact of the development on communities in Huntingdonshire and these had been passed to the City Council. Mr Ingram mentioned that he was aware that the City Council had received over 500 representations and petitions and that the authority had raised some 18 issues with the developers that needed to be addressed, including the proposals for the A15, the impact on neighbouring communities, cross boundary education issues and the buffer zone between Great Haddon and neighbouring communities. There would also be a further round of consultation once the responses to the issues had been received. The Chairman welcomed Mr R Henry of Peter Brett Associates, the engineering consultants acting for the developers. Mr Henry advised that in conjunction with other agents, a number of exhibitions had been held during the public consultation process explaining the proposed development. Mr Henry gave a brief outline of the proposals which comprised 15,350 dwellings, 65 hectares of employment land, a secondary school, three primary schools, health and welfare facilities and retail provision in a district centre. He also explained the reasons for the traffic plans, including a proposed bus gate which was intended to reduce the volume of traffic flow on the A15. Proposals for a park and ride facility had already been dropped in response to public opinion expressed at the exhibitions. Based upon traffic modelling, Mr Henry advised that forecasts showed increases in traffic flows at morning and